How On turned garden hoses and Halloween videos into a $4 billion sports brand

Over the course of 16 years, David Allemann, cofounder and co-CEO of On, helped build a $4 billion sports brand with a garden hose, a Roger Federer dinner, and a young designer who watched a Halloween YouTube video. But he says the defining decade for On is still ahead. He breaks down what the first-of-its-kind LightSpray robotic process says about On’s innovation philosophy. This is an abridged transcript of an interview from Rapid Response, hosted by the former editor-in-chief of Fast Company Bob Safian. From the team behind the Masters of Scale podcast, Rapid Response features candid conversations with today’s top business leaders navigating real-time challenges. Subscribe to Rapid Response wherever you get your podcasts to ensure you never miss an episode. On has been an amazing growth story, the lead player in a new generation of athletic footwear and apparel companies. Is that how you see On, as the next big global brand? You started with a unique sole design, which is also the way Nike started with its waffle shoes. What is your plan? I think the plan is to be the most premium global sports brand, really based on innovation but also on design. In the end, it’s about making …